TRENDING

New Air Force team makes its first bulk buy

By Dawn S. Onley, Thomas R. Temin

Aug 29, 2003

John Gilligan

MONTGOMERY, Ala.'The Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council has made its first buy, spending $10 million recently on Dell Inc. desktop and notebook computers for the Air Force Materiel Command.

Air Force CIO John Gilligan said the service bought 12,500 computers at a 30 percent discount by buying in bulk. It's a strategy the service plans to use more, he said last week at the Air Force Information Technology Conference.

'We're evaluating the other commands planned purchases for desktops and laptops, and we'll bundle them and buy as an enterprise,' Gilligan said.

The Air Force in June formed the council, which has representatives from all the major commands.

Its mission is to develop enterprise strategies for buying and managing IT products and services. Air Force Standards Systems Group officials lead the council.